Living Life on the Edge
by oddchimp
Summary: Despite his experiences, Hikigaya finally feels that Yuigahama is more than a nice girl. However, some part of his past is slowly creeping up. Relationships are more fragile and unusual than they seem at first glance. Will Hikigaya have the ability to get over his past? Minor spoilers in the comments.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I figured I would try using a change of point of view from my previous fanfic to first person this time. I feel like first person suits Hikigaya better due to his tendency to make internal monologues. As this is going to be a longer fanfic, I prewrote some of it. You can expect weekly updates. I hope that the writing quality is a bit better as I spent more time editing.**

 **Edit: Smaller paragraphs to increase readability.  
**

* * *

Today was a regular day in class. The kind of regular where nothing changed and everything ticked like clockwork. People gossiped about the latest rumor and discussed their plans to hang out after school. I was the exception, being the only one in class sitting alone, slumped on my desk.

Out of curiosity, I took a peek at Hayama's group. Miura glanced back at me before giving a menacing frown. As expected of the Fire Queen to do that. The look made me immediately cower back in fear. What was I afraid of anyway? I feared a lot of people and things, but I had no reason to fear Miura. After all, we never really talked.

The only relation to her was that she was in the same clique as one of the members in the service club. Also, despite being pretty, and popular with most boys, I did not have a crush on her. Even if someone was born with flawless genes that resulted in a slim figure and smooth skin, it could not save them if their personality was terrible.

In fact, she was one of those people I despised. She was one of the fakes who liked Hayama, another equally fake person. My attention turned to the teacher who just came in. The whole class became silent as the lesson began. Fortunately, it was the last period and sooner than I expected, the lesson ended. I struggled to contain my excitement to participate in the going home club.

The thought dissipated once I recalled what my Hiratsuka-sensei said to me. A while ago, there was a certain essay I wrote second year that lead me to join in the service club during the second year of high school. _Did I think I was a freshman for a second?_

With the end of class nearby, I should prepare to head over to the service club. I have been regularly attending the club, and as of now, it was a habit. Once the bell rang, I picked up my bag and walked to the door. I stopped briefly by the door and turned around. Others were still chatting, but Yuigahama followed right behind me.

"Wait, for me!" she said. She had a pouting expression on her face as he quickly picked up her pace.

"Yo," I said, still walking straight forward. "Well, now it is fine, you are all caught up with me now right?"

"Jeez, next time wait by the door."

Now that I analyze it, it seemed like she still wanted to talk with some of her friends in her clique. _It is okay Yuigahama, you can keep talking with your friends. I only left early because I had no friends._ Speaking of which, why did she want to be around me so much? I always wondered why a nice girl like Yuigahama would even bother starting a conversation with a loner like me. My reputation in class was not the best.

In fact, that may be an understatement. On the first day of high school I had that accident and was bedridden for three weeks. Through those three weeks, people talked to each other and connected. By the time my injury healed, everyone else had already formed their own groups of friends and I was left alone. It definitely was not the best high school debut for me. Thus, her being with me could only cause others to distance themselves from her.

One possibility to this situation entered my mind. Could it be that she liked me? I quickly disregarded that assumption. Simply, it was not likely. During my past, I have been fooled by nice girls, and that was painful enough. I was not foolish enough to fall for the same trick a second time. That was one superior aspect I had over other people. Unlike some others, I actually learned from my mistakes. When I mess up, I do not just forget and try again. I take note of it.

We walked down the hallway without speaking much. Upon arriving at the club room, I open up the doors letting out a light clack sound. As usual, the club room was dead silent. At the club entrance, I saw Yukinoshita sitting in her usual spot reading a book. She momentarily glanced at me when I opened the door, but quickly resumed her novel. The novel was likely one of those traditional classics.

Sitting down in usual spot, I took out my light novel and slowly got engrossed in my own fantasy world. Ahh, it was the relaxing activity of reading. I imagined myself lying down a comfortable cloth beach chair with the feeling of the warm sunlight on my face and the light sound of waves crashing. A servant served me some fresh max coffee.

That would be a nice life. I wonder if it would be possible to afford that kind of lifestyle with my current goal of becoming a house husband. As I continue drifting away from reality, Yuigahama and Yukinoshita in swimsuits walked by. I glanced out through the corner of my book and noticed Yukinoshita giving me a death glare.

"As expected of a person like you Hikikomori-kun," she said.

Did I make a weird expression? I may have gone too far with my daydreaming.

"What are you talking about? Light novels have their own merits just like traditional literary fiction." I said back. I was not about to let my precious stories get slammed down. Frantically, I scanned over my book for any sign of acceptable prose. No, no, that scene won't work. And neither will that scene.

That was unusual. Why was it that when I read it now, it seemed full of clichés? The protagonist was a complete self-insert, and the writer was using the novel to indulge in his desires, some of which I will not mention. Never mind the novel having intelligent plot, and the scenes would make any person with class cringe. I closed my book and sighed. I was defeated. I wasn't ready to fight the Yukinoshita boss yet. Tomorrow I will stock up on some health potions and some powerful weaponry.

On the bright side, the protagonist was relatable and the scenes were funny. He was in school, so there were exams, school trips, and club activities as well. There was just one major detail I found slightly unrealistic. How did he know so many girls? It was a very odd situation; he probably had two male friends while there were countless girls around him.

That was depressing; I thought the protagonist and I were similar. The protagonist was too well-adjusted of a person! Worst of all, currently the protagonist was complaining that some girl was asking him to help her study for exams. I retract my statement that the novel was relatable. For some reason, that scene reminded me of Iroha. She would always come to the service club to use me as the errand boy.

"With midterms coming up soon, there won't be clubs next week," Yukinoshita said.

"Yes, that means we can have a go somewhere, Yukinon!" Yuigahama stood and clasped her hands together with an excited expression on her face.

"Please focus on doing well on your exams Yuigahama," Yukinoshita said.

Yuigahama sat down dejected. I merely was glad. The service club, despite often serving as a calm gathering to read and relax, occasionally had requests. And no matter how you look at it, those requests were work. I would gladly avoid working if I can. After all, that was my mantra.

The following days were bliss. Assignments from class were toned down due to the upcoming midterms. Additionally, being free of club activities meant I had an enormous amount of free time. And for the first half of the week I spent my time grinding through video games. My immersion was then broken by a ring. Apparently I just received a text.

"Are you free tomorrow?" The message was from Yuigahama. I was free tomorrow but I wanted to play more video games.

"No, I have things to do."

"Like what, studying maybe?"

"Yes," I lied. The only reason I had so much free time was because of the exams next week. The teachers would give time to students to study, and some people did use the extra time gained from the cancelled club activities to study. However, during class I always paid attention to the lectures.

While others were daydreaming about their girlfriends during class or imagining what to do while anticipating the school bell, I was looking at the blackboard, took diligent notes, and concentrated on what the teacher said. Due to this, I did not need to study much outside of school.

"Okay, that is great then. Tomorrow you can help me study."

Studying together was not necessarily less effective than studying alone. People studying alone can encounter all sorts of roadblocks and without anyone to bounce ideas off of, can take a while to get over. In contrast, studying as a group reduced the bottleneck of one's own weaknesses. A person not understanding a specific explanation in a textbook can be clarified by another person in the study group. Everyone in the group benefits from this.

Unfortunately, group studying is also prone to distractions. This was likely why Yuigahama was asking me, as I would imagine that studying sessions with a group like Hayama's clique would be the complete opposite of productive.

I could just envision the group getting through several math questions before one person complains of hunger. Soon after, the whole group would head out to a café to eat some snacks. After the outing, people would lose the mood to study and chat around.

30 minutes of studying easily turned into 4 hours of hanging out. After they get home, everyone would be happy they got 4 hours of work done and after being proud of their great study session. It wasn't a surprise that those people's grades just ended up average. My thoughts were interrupted by another text.

"Remember, you still owe me for the honey toast."

"Fine, I'll help you," I replied.

"You make me sound like I am forcing you."

"You are. After all, who is going to be doing all the teaching?"

"I'm not that dumb, stupid Hikki!"

"Okay, I'll meet you tomorrow after school."

Since when did I say she was dumb? For her to say that could only mean one thing. She knew it herself. It appeared like I had no choice though. Anyway, I was getting tired of playing video games.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review if you enjoyed it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Made a minor edit by separating first chapter into more paragraphs to increase readability. Okay, due to that, here's an early free chapter. You can expect the rest of the updates on schedule (Wednesday). As usual, feel free to leave feedback.  
**

* * *

After school, I headed straight to the courtyard and prepared to go home. I felt I forgotten something, but decided to continue walking. That was just me. As part of the going home club, I always headed home without detours. I have been doing for years since that incident in middle school.

Now I had joined the service club, but club activities were canceled this week. It was a perfect time to fall back into old routine and go straight home.

"Where are you going?" A girl's voice sounded from behind. Thoughts darted back to my past. I could not recall a scenario where a girl asked me to hang out, so I ignored the person.

"Don't ignore me!" She said as she punched my shoulder.

Behind, there was a familiar head of fluffy pink hair done into a bun. Now I remember. Yesterday afternoon, I planned to study today and to meet her in the courtyard. My earlier actions were likely just a habit that I had back in my middle school days.

"Sorry, just a force of habit," I said.

Yuigahama's usual smile faded and she shot a glare at me. It seemed she has been around Yukinoshita too much and it is starting to rub off of her.

"What force of habit, that was just plain rude!"

"Are you calling me rude? Who was the one who just punched me?"

I could almost see veins on her face bulge up. I quickly had to figure out how to defuse the situation.

"Anyway, want to go look for somewhere to study?" I said.

Her angry expression faded, like her anger was never there. Eyes now sparkling like diamonds, her attitude seemed more joyous than usual. We walked together looking around for places to study.

"Hey, how about a coffee shop?" I said.

"Sure Hikki, that seems great."

A sign on the large front glass doors showed that the shop was open late. There was enough time to focus on studying. As I swung open the door, sounds of various people chattering filled the room. People of all ages, drank coffee and ate snacks while conversing with friends. A waft of fresh coffee swept my nose by surprise. Sure it was not the Max coffee I normally drank, but it will suffice.

"Hey, what can I get you two," the shopkeeper said. His facial expression expressed boredom and apathy. I wonder if that how others saw me.

"Two cups of fresh ground coffee please." I figured out that a regular coffee flavor would work.

We both looked around and found a comfortable seat. One great thing about this coffee shop was the soft, plushy, leather seats. My tired legs experienced a sensation like memory foam once I sat down. After several hours of sitting on hard, cold, school chairs for class, this was a refreshing change.

Surprisingly, the place was uncrowded. I expected more students here given that midterms were coming, but there was only one other group of students. Yui thanked me for the coffee and we cracked open our bags and took out our books.

"What should we start with?" I asked.

"How about English," she said.

"Ok. Can you first work through these exercises in this book so I can see what you understand?" I opened up her textbook and pointed to the couple of recent practice problems that were likely going to be used as test questions. As I started reviewing my textbook to make sure I was prepared for the test, she worked through the problems diligently. It was unlike the other student group that opened their books but chatted around.

"Come on Isshiki, we have studied enough. I am hungry," said a blonde girl.

Wow, I am surprised Isshiki was here. She seemed like the type to play around rather than study. I disregarded it was her at first because I only say the back of her head when walking in. Now that I paid more attention, I was confident it was her. The other girl was likely Isshiki's classmate. They went over the counter to order some cake.

"I'm done," said Yuigahama.

I looked over her answers for the English grammar exercises. It looked like she was confused with advice and advise. I wondered how I could explain this.

"Okay think of it like this, advice is something you give to someone else to help them solve their problems. Advise is a verb meaning the act of giving advice. For example, the service club would advise people on how to solve problems. These examples are all considered advice: a swimmer should stretch before swimming, a student should study before exams, and Yuigahama shouldn't cook."

"Okay, thanks I get it. Oh wait, one of the examples on the word advice sounds rude," she said.

"Huh really, how is it rude?"

"You are implying that I can't cook right?"

"Well as long as you get the word, that's great. Many people make that mistake in English."

"Eh, you totally just changed the topic!"

"Okay, you the head chef."

Yuigahama, pleased, went back to studying. I glanced at the other study group. Sure enough, their cake was now finished, but they were still chatting. Hey Hayama, you should be more careful, it looks like your underclassmen are picking up on your group's bad practices.

We worked on several more problems throughout the afternoon. Surprisingly, I managed to learn something. My English although good, was not perfect and Yuigahama picked up on where I was lacking. After, I felt like we had studied enough and Yuigahama agreed.

"I'll walk you home," I said.

"Sure, that seems good. Thanks so much for today Hikki, I felt like I learned a lot." A faint tint of red was coming from her cheeks.

We began walking towards her house. The walk was quite pleasant. The weather was neither sunny nor cold. Outside, the sun was about to set.

"Hey Hikki, you don't have anything planned for the rest of the day right?"

I shook my head.

"Come with me, I want to go somewhere," she said.

* * *

I followed her along as she led me through the streets. She directed me to walk up a bunch of stairs. The steep, stone stairs made climbing intense. After climbing for a while, I could see a temple.

Yuigahama made threw some coins into the offering box and prayed. I dropped some coins and prayed for luck.

"Hey, what did you pray for?"

"It is a secret," Yuigahama said.

She then led me to the other side of the temple and there was a pathway with a bench. The view from there was incredible. I sat on the bench and Yui sat beside me.

"I went here often when I was child. I would always pray for good grades at the temple. The view from here was great as well. Whenever I felt stressed over an argument with friends or family, this place would calm me down," she said.

She seemed to treasure that place. Was she stressed over the fact that I ignored her earlier in the courtyard? Blame it on my past because I never had a girl waiting for me at school. Despite what she just said, she had a light smile.

"Hey Hikki, what do you think about Yukinon?"

"Well, she's rude and insufferable, she insults me like no one else, and she has a strange love for cats."

"No, that wasn't what I meant!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you like her, like do you want to date her or anything?"

"I don't know, she is quite cold to me and she didn't even accept my friend request."

"Huh really…" she said, sighing in relief.

Yuigahama looked like she was about to say something. "I…"

"Yes what?"

"Never mind," she said. "Hey, sit closer."

Before I knew it, she moved closed and put her arm around me. Half the bench was empty. Hang on, this was too close, this was bad for any healthy male's mind! She took out her phone and pointed it at us.

"Say cheese!"

I could not help but let out an awkward grin before the shutter went off. We sat there, talked more and watched the sun set before I finally walked her home. Finally on my way back to the Hikigaya residence, my cell phone received a notification. It was the picture she took.

* * *

The week came to an end and it was Friday morning. Waking up, I heard the sounds of softly chirping birds and felt a ray of sunshine hit my forehead. I barely opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling.

Slowly, I tilted my head and looked at the time on my alarm clock. There was only twenty minutes before school started. To arrive on time, I needed to prepare soon.

Suddenly, blistering pain was felt on my heart. It felt like a thousand needles were thrusted in. The feeling made it difficult to breathe properly. There had to be a reason I was feeling like this, but I decided to ignore it and crawled out of bed despite the pain.

Grumbling in agony, I barely focused on what was in front of me. A silhouette of what looked like a book was on my nightstand. As I stared more, it slowly came to focus. It was a photo album of the past.

I glanced at the photo album. Out of curiosity; I flipped to the first page. The first few pages were pictures of me when I was a baby. At that time period, my dead fish-eyes still have not appeared. Through the sea of random baby pictures, there were some that had me in the nude.

 _I should lock these up,_ I thought. I would melt in embarrassment if guests were to see them.

I flipped through more pages and frowned. These pictures were from my middle school days. Most of the pictures were of me by myself. Nothing significant happened in middle school that was worth taking note of.

However, there was one picture that was notable. It was a picture of my former classmate from middle school, Kaori Orimoto. I wondered why I would have a picture of her in my album.

Trying to dig through my memory, I figured it out. It was a picture I bought from a classmate for 500 yen. That classmate was part of the photo club. Aside from taking proper photos that were displayed on the school website, he had a side business of secretly taking pictures of girls. Recalling that made me cringe at how pathetic I was back then.

The only picture of the girl I loved was not even a genuine picture. That picture made me realize the cause for my chest pain. That night I had a nightmare. It was a flashback back to middle school and how everyone bullied me. The trauma was so strong that I still felt symptoms after waking up. I closed the photo album and placed it back on the desk.

I unlocked up my phone and saw the picture Yuigahama sent me yesterday. It was of us sitting on the park bench after the study session. I signed in relief because I finally had a genuine picture. The middle school events were in the past, and it didn't matter anymore. I was now a different person.

A doubt crept into my mind for an instance. _What if she was just like Orimoto,_ I thought. Everyone is nice on the outside until you get to know them. On the outside everyone looked harmless, but underneath were rough skeletons waiting to be exposed. Phony people all over the world try to fit in. They will not be afraid to drop someone like a hat once the person's usefulness ran out.

I grumbled and rushed out the door, skipping my breakfast. Sorry Komachi, your breakfast will always be the best in the world but I don't know what will happen to my body if Hiratsuka sensei sees me late for class. I grabbed my bike and pedaled like a madman. Well at least that was what I thought. Since I wasn't athletic, I was easily surpassed by other experienced bikers.

I arrived at school still panting, but luckily I had a minute to spare. It was the last day of school before the midterms. Luckily, the lessons were mostly review, and I just coasted on with my still sleepy brain.

By the last period, I regained all my energy. On my way home I dropped by a photo store. The shopkeeper greeted me and I looked over the different options before requesting a size. As I showed him my cell phone photo, a smirk appeared on the shopkeeper's face.

The new photo I received was printed and laminated. Cell phone cameras were not too shoddy these days. Although the megapixel count was low compared to traditional cameras, with the small size I printed, the effects were barely noticeable.

In fact, the photo looked clean and sleek. Upon reaching home, I put my new freshly printed photo inside the album. I figured to overcome the past, I should replace it with present.

"Ohh… who was that Onii-chan," A voice from behind me exclaimed. "Was that why you were back home late yesterday? You better tell me everything that happened yesterday, down to the very last detail! I won't stop bugging you until you do."

That was unusual. I thought I was in my room, with all the privacy to myself. Rather, then me going into someone else's room, it must have been someone who had barged into my room. Oh well, I will forgive her since she was my number one sister.

"I came to check with you because it seemed like you didn't eat breakfast. Was it a secret outing? So, you were so excited that before you knew it, it was midnight. That was why you woke up late."

"No, none of that sort. I had a bad dream in the morning," I said. "That was why I woke up late and skipped breakfast."

I told her in detail what happened yesterday.

"That was all? I don't believe it. You definitely missed a chance right there; this will be just like middle school. You will never find a girlfriend at this rate."

"Anyway, so like I said, yesterday was just a study session for the midterms."

I closed the album but not before staring at it for a while. I already felt much better than I did this morning. I was astonished by how much a good picture could change my outlook.


	3. Chapter 3

Before I had a chance to blink, midterms came. Although the material was not a stroll in the park, it felt fair. Luckily, there were few trick questions. Due my loner tendencies, I recalled most of the details in the class lectures. My attention in class had finally paid off.

Surprisingly, the English exam seemed easier this time. Maybe studying with someone else benefited me, even if that person was like a dull knife in the kitchen. Tests were still a pain, so I still wanted finish as soon as I could.

After grinding through English grammar multiple choice questions, I approached a section with essay writing. That made me reminisce about the Japanese essay I wrote for Hiratsuka-sensei. In spite of pouring out all of my feelings, I was forced to rewrite it due to it being unconventional.

At that moment, I caught myself preparing to hand in my essay early. I paused, and decided to wait before submitting. Carefully revising my essay to ensure it was free of any cynical thoughts, I removed a quarter.

An assignment was something I could rewrite, but I was not risking anything on my midterm. Exams were remarkably longer than assignments, and I learned my lesson from my previous assignment.

My English teacher would likely not permit midterm rewrites especially if the reason was silly like writing crap. Unlike Hiratsuka-sensei, the English teacher was strict, traditional, and old fashioned. After a late night of marking, I imagined he would read my essay, and wince due to his lack a humor.

The resulting mark would be nasty. Once I asked him to rewrite my midterm, he would recognize me as the kid who got on his bad side and gave him more work.

Even I knew not to mess with the wrong teacher. After adding some fluff words, I made an essay of a reasonable length. I finished my English exam, proud of my work.

Once all the exams were over, I sighed in relief. Even though I was confident I did well on the exams, finally finishing them all felt liberating.

I bet Yukinoshita was first place on all the exams again. Considering Yukinoshita's upbringing, there was probably high pressure on flawless academics. After the last lesson ended, I headed towards the service club.

"Yahallo, Yukinon!" Yuigahama said.

"Good afternoon, Yuigahama," Yukinoshita said.

Though it was just Yuigahama being Yuigahama and Yukinoshita being Yukinoshita, it was unexpectedly revitalizing after a long time without club activities.

"Hey, why don't I get a greeting?" I said.

"A dog like you deserves no greeting. Maybe if you sat down on all fours and beg for a greeting, you can get one," Yukinoshita said.

Though these banters are quite a blow on my self-esteem, I do find them quite fun.

"Hey, don't be mean Yukinon," Yuigahama said.

Well at least one person was on my side.

"Dogs are great animals too!"

Okay, my ego just got destroyed twice in the last ten seconds. That was probably a new record.

"By the way, Yuigahama, how did you do on the essay," I said. I wonder if Yuigahama would be able to write a good essay, I do not recall working on writing with her.

"Eh, even I know to study something I'm not good at. My essay writing had bad grammar, but during that review session, I think I caught up. I don't expect an amazing mark based on my writing skills, but it should be passable."

"As for the main topic of today, there is a fireworks festival coming up," Yukinoshita said.

"Oh great, Yukinon! Though I probably need to buy a new yukata. My old one's worn out with several holes. It isn't fit to been seen."

"I could use a new yukata as well," Yukinoshita said.

"Well, good luck," I said. The two were surprised but suddenly their eyes were staring at me. I grimaced as I sensed an aura of displeasure.

"You're coming too Hikki!"

"What, why should I come? Plus your expressions scare me," I said.

Before I knew it, Yuigahama had puppy dog eyes all over her face. I managed to resist that. Yukinoshita's sad face failed to work on me as well. But from behind, I suddenly heard an angelic voice.

"Are you really not going, Hachiman?" he said with tears.

How did Totsuka get here? I did not know Totsuka would be going. In fact, given this ridiculous timing, it was probably set up by the two girls. Now that they knew my weakness, I was powerless.

"So what time should we meet then?" I said. As usual, it appeared I had no choice. Even if Totsuka was not going, I was weak to his words.

"Is everyone free at 10 in the morning?" Yukinoshita suggested.

Everyone felt it was a good time and agreed. Well it appeared like my plan for the weekend had gone down the drain. And here I had a plan to do an anime marathon with Komachi. It would have been a nice reward for finishing the exams. I went back home, slightly annoyed.

"Come on, that is great Onii-chan! There are not that many opportunities where you get to hang out with cute girls. In fact, I want to go the festival too!"

Was my precious sister Komachi going to the festival with Taishi? I need to purchase some pest control for the bug.

"Anyway, let's do the anime marathon today since we will need to go shopping on the weekend," Komachi said. I sat on the large leather couch and Komachi sat beside me. They day slowly drifted away as we got lost in the lives of the 2D characters.

* * *

The sun rays from the window fell on my face. What a beautiful morning. I woke up a bit earlier than I expected, snuggling in my warm blankets. Waking up right after the exams on the weekend was calming.

"Hey Onii-chan!"

I stared at the clock. The red leds displayed 7 AM. Waking up now would be fine, but there was no school today. After all, it was the weekend. The weekend was a perfect time to catch up on my beauty sleep. However, that was quite difficult with a certain person bothering me. Maybe I should ignore it.

"Onii-chan!" the voice got louder.

I continued on with my sleep. I closed my eyelids and lay down on the soft, fluffy bed cushion. The blankets were so warm and comfortable. I could relax for days.

"Onii-chan, WAKE UP!"

The voice was now booming and shook the room like an earthquake. I swear that was not the voice of a normal little sister. I fought against the urge to sleep and slowly opened my eyes. Before I figured out what happened, my warm fuzzy blanket got snatched away.

 _Why does the world have to do this to me? Not only do I get bullied at school but I get bullied at home. I could only laugh at my luck._

"Anyway, today is a special day," Komachi said with a big grin on her face.

"Huh, how is today special?"

"You get to go out with two beautiful women, plus the best little sister, me! Aren't you glad?"

"I guess, it doesn't seem terrible."

"What kind of response was that, you idiot! Talking to a girl like that… if you're not careful they'll leave you, ya know. Though I'll always be by your side, regardless of how stupid you are and whatever terrible decisions in life you make. Yay, I bet that upped my Komachi points."

Only my little sister could insult me and still be cute. Now that I thought about it, the shopping event was planned for today. Yuigahama needed to get her Yukata for the fireworks festival. The time everyone agreed to meet was 10 AM in the morning which did not require waking up early.

"Well anyway, I made your omelet rice for breakfast, get ready and head downstairs!"

I walked to the washroom, washed up and made sure my teeth were shiny and then headed downstairs. A scent of omelet rice filled the air. I was fast so the food was still fresh and hot. I took a waft of the scent, and breathed out. Then I did it again. It was like I was meditating.

"Hey, what are you doing, stop being a weirdo."

"Come on, it was because the food smelled so good," You should be happy. "I bet that was a lot of Hachiman points."

"I don't want any of your Hachiman points, but I'll forgive you for being a creep."

"What, I didn't do anything wrong!"

I sat down and started chowing down on food. Surprisingly, it tasted as great as it smelled. It was so crispy and soft that even after I finished the meal, I could feel the warmth still lingering in my stomach.

Looking at the time now, it was 7:30 AM. It was still much too early to go outside. I began walking back up the stairs to head back to bed. However, I could not move. Looking back, I immediately realized. Komachi was tugging on my shirt.

"Hey, Onii-chan, what are you going to wear?" Komachi asked.

I searched through my closet and found a pair of simple sweatpants and a t-shirt and put them on.

"Come on, Onii-chan are you serious?" Komachi asked. "That is not what you wear on a date! I guess we have no choice, none of the clothes in your closet pass the test. Pack up, and lets go shopping early!"

I packed up and brought my wallet and keys before heading out with Komachi. Luckily, there was a clothing shop nearby. A large red signage showed Uniqlo, a casual clothing retailer with good prices. I tried on multiple jeans before Komachi picked out one.

The next step was my upper body. My current plain T-shirt was fine but I should get a jacket. Komachi and I looked together and we settled on a cheap black bomber jacket.

"We, can keep your old T-shirt as that white T-shirt contrasts well with the jacket. Oh my god, Onii-chan, could it be that you look cool? Wow, I am amazed, it was a great idea to take you out shopping," Komachi exclaimed happily. "Ok let's put those old sweatpants in the dumpster."

"Don't I need them to work out?"

"Since when do you work out, oh well, but only use them to go to the gym 'kay? By no means should you wear them otherwise. If fact, don't even wear those at home. After seeing you in nicer clothes sweatpants won't do!"

With the shopping out of the way, I went home and placed my old sweatpants back in the clothes drawer. Upon looking in the mirror, I have to admit, I do look nice. I flashed some poses. There was still some time left before I head out to go shopping with Yukinoshita and Yuigahama.

I quickly did my hair in the mirror. Riding the train the meeting place felt a bit more pleasant. There were less dirty looks at me. Even with those rotten eyes, I guess the look of jeans, a plain white t-shirt and a bomber jacket suit my look.

The train dropped us off at a station in downtown Chiba, right beside a large shopping mall. The mall was enormous, with 5 stories and multiple entrances.

The area was populated with multiple signs with gigantic advertisements, displaying trendy clothes and the newest smartphones for early adopters with money to burn. When we were two minutes away from the meeting time, I texted Yuigahama as I could not find her.

"Where are you, Yuigahama?"

"Oh Hikki, I'm almost there. Let's meet at the entrance right by the silver sculpture."

I scanned the area. There was a giant silver sculpture, so shiny that it showed people's reflections like a mirror. The sculpture consisted of three circular rings, each ring situated inside the larger ring.

It was not complex but gave off a modern look. I went there with Komachi and we waited for about 5 minutes before Yuigahama came.

"Yahallo Komachi," Yuigahama said. She paused. "Is that Hikki? Wow, good on you, you look nice today."

"Yep, it's my amazing fashion sense," I said.

"Yahallo Yui-senpai!" Komachi said. Komachi then went beside me and whispered into my ear, "See Onii-chan, I knew I was right to give you a makeover!"

I nodded in agreement. Not long after, Yukinoshita arrived in a luxurious sleek black sedan.

"Yahallo, Yukinon!"

"Good morning, Yuigahama-san. Who's that?" Yukinoshita pointed her finger at me.

"Who do you think?"

Upon hearing my voice Yukinoshita immediately realized who it was. "Hey, don't scare me like that Hikigaya-kun. Well, kudos for dressing up, I now regard you as higher than a dog."

It seemed that even the ice queen can come up with compliments if she tries.

"But still lower than a human, and a cat as well."

I sighed. I will never get my hopes up again for this girl. We decided to over to the first clothing shop that looked like it sold more traditional clothing. There were Yukatas, Kimonos, and some small accessories such as fans. It was not expensive in any way, though they were slightly cheaper for men.

The three girls with me quickly picked out ones they wanted to try on and went into to change room. Yuigahama brought two yukatas with her, the one had a silky white background with pink flowers and the other had a light yellow background with orange clovers. She tried on both for me to see and asked me on my opinions.

"I think you pull off the white one a lot better," I said. Although the other yukata matched her hair more, it made her look fun, whereas the current one made her look beautiful. Thus, Yuigahama decided to purchase the white one.

Yukinoshita took a little longer and settled on one with a blue background and a light white outline of flowers, and one that was black with red butterflies. The black one made her look like a devil especially when combined with her long black hair.

"The blue one, for sure," I said.

Komachi had better fashion sense than me given that she even picked out my outfit. She went with whatever she thought looked good without asking for a second opinion. For my yukata, I had both Yukinoshita and Yuigahama pick one for me. Mine was blue with a simple lined pattern.

"Onii-chan, sorry but I am going to meet up with some friends. Take care of Yui-senpai and Yukino-senpai!" She said before dashing off.

Upon hearing that, a few other male customers looked at me with disgust. After everyone bought some Yukatas we decided to go window shopping elsewhere. Suddenly, I see the only person I did not want to see.

I decided to hide behind a corner, hoping she missed me. She walked right by the corner without turning. _That was close,_ I thought.

"Hey, if it isn't Hikigaya-kun!" a voice said.

I looked towards the voice. It was Kaori Orimoto, the person from middle school I have been trying to forget.

"What are you doing here?" I said.

"Is it that unusual for a girl to go shopping?"

"Hey, how do you know Hikki." Yuigahama lowered her head, looking displeased.

"Hikigaya-kun is my friend in middle school, right Hikigaya-kun?" Kaori said.

"Yep," I replied.

"So which one of those two is your girlfriend?"

"Neither."

"And here I thought you finally found someone." She laughed.

I frowned and stiffened up. That was awkward. My middle school crush saw me with not one but two girls yet I still had no girlfriend. I thought I changed but apparently nothing happened, I was still the person surrounded by nice girls.

I turned back to Yuigahama and Yukinoshita. Surprisingly, they were displeased as well.

"Anyway, I'm going to head to karaoke soon. Want to come?"

"No thanks, I still have a bit more shopping to do."

And with that she left.

"Was she really your friend?" Yuigahama said.

I shook my head. Yuigahama and Yukinoshita seemed to be in a better mood after. After shopping was finished, we discussed when we would attend the festival.

"Sorry Yukinon, I can't go with you to the festival with you, Miura wants to go with me, and has been bugging me for a while. I haven't really been talking to her much lately, so I think I'll go meet up with her. Ah Yukinon, we can still talk at the festival."

"That is fine Yuigahama-san," Yukinoshita said. Yuigahama then left to meet up with her friends, leaving just me and Yukinoshita by ourselves.

"So looks like it is just you and me," Yukinoshita said. Her cheeks showed some embarrassment.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Oh right, the festival is actually quite far from here. How about I pick up you and Komachi tomorrow?"

Could this be the first time that Yukinoshita has been nice to me?

"Sure, that sounds great."

I stayed with Yukinoshita looking at mostly clothing too expensive for me. After several hours, we said our goodbyes and parted our ways. I looked around for Komachi and we headed home.

A letter addressed to me was in the mailbox. There was no return address. I ripped it open and read the contents.

 _Hey Hikigaya-kun,_

 _Remember what happened in middle school? So many boys stopped talking to me after. And it was all your fault. By the way, I thought you got a girlfriend already. I knew it, you never changed. Anyway, you shouldn't get a girlfriend. Those two are just being nice to you, and once you ask out one you will be disappointed. Besides, who will I have left once you get one? Haha, it's Hikigaya-kun after all, you probably won't ever find one. DON'T GET A GIRLFRIEND! LOL_

 _:)_

I decided to call it a day and go to bed.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Small edit: Changed characters referrals to mostly last names (What Hikigaya usually calls them) as per request.**


	4. Chapter 4

The streets were empty and cold, leaving no feeling as I walked along the road. The sky was bleak with clouds blocking the sunshine. On this day, I ditched riding my bike and tried walking to school.

With barely any energy, I was more like a slug than a regular human being. Still exhausted from the whole ordeal that was yesterday, I daydreamed.

In the past few days, more events happened in the last few days than in the years before it. I finally made some friends, even went on some trips and had fun. You could even call me a normal well-adjusted person.

However, a detail was missing. I felt anxious and afraid of school. I recalled that letter of challenge that made me so angry at the world and the society. That triggered my emotions more than I ever thought it would.

Usually being indifferent to how others thought to me, even I was shocked by how I felt after I read the letter. The moment I finally started to change, I got made fun of. I was still someone disgusting in those eyes and it was like nothing happened.

The people I have talked to, their feelings, I had slowly come to terms with. It was an unusual coincidence, as I received the letter the day right before the festival.

My emotions took control over me and after, during the festival, I lost it. Wanting to prove everything that the letter said wrong, I shouted such an embarrassing outburst. Afterwards, I felt empty. Was everything all for naught?

As I was minding my own business, a certain girl with a bun came up to me. I was not at all in the mood to see her at this moment. I turned around.

"Huh, it's you. You don't need to talk to me. I'll get the wrong idea again," I said without flinching.

"What do you mean Hikki, you look a little down," Yuigahama said. "Hey wait for me, why are you trying to avoid me?"

"You know I hate nice girls. And I thought this time was different."

"What you're talking about Hikki?"

"DON'T ACT LIKE NOTHING HAS HAPPENED!" I yelled. She backed off a little because of my outburst. Tears began dripping down my cheeks. "I'm not sure if you heard, but during middle school, there was this one girl who was really nice to me. I confessed to her and became that person people made fun of."

"Oh that girl was terrible. But you don't really talk to her anymore right?"

"Yeah no, but you are acting just like her. Do you know h-how difficult it was for me yesterday at the cultural festival? I know it was somewhat spontaneous, but being with the service club for a while, I thought we had something more. It was a lie. Everything was a lie."

Yuigahama paused. "I'm sorry!"

"Sorry doesn't cut it. I'm surprised you still have the nerve to talk to me the day after rejecting me."

"Rejected?"

"…"

"I didn't apologize for rejecting you." She said.

"Huh?"

"Sorry for running off when you confessed. I was just so shocked that I just took off."

"That still doesn't make me feel any better. Are you really shocked that a guy like me confessed to you?"

"Huh, no that's not what I meant!" Yuigahama now returned to her usual pouting face. "I was shocked because I-I…"

"Yes?"

"I-I loved the food and wanted to eat some more before it sold out."

Well, that settles it. My high school life was now the same joke as before. I walked faster and faster until she was out of sight. During class, people around me seemed more uncomfortable than usual. _Did I have no right to feel depressed?_

I felt like skipping the service club today as I was not in the mood in see any more girls. For lunch, instead I should have lunch with Totuska. He was that one person who won't betray me. Right the period ended, I went up to Totsuka's desk.

"Hey do you want to have lunch together?"

"Sure Hachiman," the angelic voice spoke. I already felt better about the day. After class, we found a table in the cafeteria and opened our lunch boxes.

"Hey Totsuka…"

"Yes, Hachiman?"

"You know, ever since I met you, there was that feeling I couldn't shake off. Being in school so long with you, I think I-I…" I felt a slap.

"As I was saying, I-I…"

In that moment, I got tackled. What was going on?

"No Hikki, please don't do that. Sorry, what I said before was a mistake. I was nervous, and although I loved the food, that wasn't what I meant to say. What I meant to say, was that um… you were the one I love. There I said it!" She had a solemn expression.

"Really?"

"Yes sorry, on the day of the festival, I was so surprised by what you said that I ran away. In fact, on the day, I was planning on confessing to you. I didn't expect you to be that bold."

"Is that really true?"

She nodded before crying some more and now she finally had a smile on her face. Damn this girl was way too nice for my own good. Oh… and she has some nice knockers too. A light punch came to my chest and before I knew it, there was a stinging sensation there. Oops, did I just day that out loud?

"Haha, you are such a pervert, Hikki. Though I guess I'll have to take the good with the bad."

"So will you go out with me?"

"Yes, gladly."

* * *

After going out for a month, something unusual started happening. In the beginning, Yukinoshita started talking less and less. That was expected though, as being in a club of three people with two people dating was awkward. It also seemed that she had unresolved feelings.

What I didn't expect was her to completely disappear by the end of the month. Even Haruno who usually bothered me, was gone from my life.

Yuigahama tried to contact Yukinoshita, and I tried to contact Haruno but we both received no response. I asked to borrow someone else's cell phone to contact Yukinoshita, thinking the family was just avoiding me and Yuigahama. No one's cell phone reached them as well. At that point, we decided to give up trying to contact them and try looking for the details ourselves.

Although we have both been to the estate, we had always been driven there by a Chauffeur. By the time we got out of the car, no signs were in sight so both of us never knew the address. As we were unsure of where to go, we asked Hiratsuka-sensei.

Normally, information like this was not let out easily, but this was a special scenario. Hiratsuka-sensei didn't hesitate to give out the information once we talked to her about what happened.

We took a cab to the house as no one in my family knew how to drive to the community. After all, commoners rarely visit communities of the wealthy. Upon arrival, we found out there was something odd. The Yukinoshita's family car was missing. The car that changed my first year of high school so drastically was a car I would never forget.

Instead, a completely different car was there. Rusty and in old style, it was not a car that anyone who assume was driven by a Yukinoshita. With their efforts of upholding their reputation, any car older than several years would probably be sold. That was the first red flag there.

Curiosity and impatience got the best of us and we dashed to the gates. Clean polished pipes adorned the gates showing that the place was not abandoned. A large interface with a doorbell and a speaker was perched right on the layered brick pillar that held the right gate. A voice came through as I rang the bell.

"Who is it?"

"Hikigaya Hachiman, I'm here to speak with Yukino."

"Yukino, you say? Sorry, there are no Yukinos here. In fact why don't you come inside, that name does not somewhat familiar if not a bit off."

The golden gates opened up slowly with a light squeak to let Yuigahama and me in. The courtyard, now in clear view, was as I remembered. I walked through the courtyard, admiring the beauty of the flowers in the garden and various trimmed hedges.

Even though I had been here before, the attention to detail would never cease to amaze me. A light stroll later, we climbed up the stone stairs to reach large double doors. As I expected, the person who came to greet me was someone I could not recognize.

An old man, dressed not too impress but still classier than average, stood in the foyer. His age was older than Yukinoshita's father or parents. Though, older people living here was not to be unexpected. In fact, the Yukinoshita family, with the young parents was the unusual one.

The properties in the area were definitely expensive, being out of reach of most common Japanese folks. Japan with its small land area suitable for living, resulted in homes with large yards and courtyards a rarity areas far from the downtown.

He directed us though the foyer and into the living room. Once there, both of us took a seat and the man started talking.

"I recently bought this house about a week ago so this situation doesn't surprise me. All I know was that the family that lived here before was Yukinoshita. Maybe, there was a Yukino there, I'm not sure. I only talked to the seller and one member from the family."

"Yes, that's it, it was Yukinoshita Yukino. We are former club mates from Sobu high school."

"Ah, formal club mates you say?" the old man said.

"Yes, Yukinon along with Hikki and I were in all in the service club. She started coming less and less and one day she just disappeared," Yuigahama said.

"Yes, and we tried to contact her but couldn't get to her. We were hoping to find her in her old house but it looks like she wasn't here. Do you think, she would have moved?"

"Oh yes, this house was recently sold to me by the Yukinoshita's. I'm not sure where they moved though."

"Do you have any clue why they moved?" I said.

"Well, they said they had some threats. At first, it was just a letter, but more and more things came up, which likely made them paranoid."

 _Letters? Something seemed familiar._ And it was just a month before I started dating. _Wait, dating._ Before I started dating, I did receive a letter. Was that considered a threat?

If I thought about it, the letter I received was unusual. I rarely got letters from anyone, as in the modern age, people would usually use cell phones text others. Letters were remnant of the older generation where people did not have electronics.

In retrospect, I should have talked to my parents about the letter. They might have thought of a way to resolve the situation. After pondering about the situation a bit more, I thought of one line in the letter.

 _Besides, who will I have left once you get one?_

Why would anyone who rejected me care if I got a girlfriend? That was a part that really puzzled me. Then I realized that people changed all the time. There are parts of life I took for granted in the past that I lost. Once I realized it, it was too late to get it back.

That letter could have been sent as a joke, but I doubt anyone would waste their name making fun of someone they don't care about anymore. I was pretty sure the letter was from Orimoto. What puzzled me was that the letter seemed contradictory. During my middle school years only I got made fun of by the class for confessing, but she was still talkative with all the other people.

If there was anything that went wrong for her, it was likely during high school. I learned my lesson from middle school that messing with the wrong person was not the best idea. So many social situations don't adhere to logic.

It would not be far-fetched that Orimoto would end up getting on the wrong side of the wrong person during high school. She had now lost what she had before and was now bitter at me. Probably because I was the only one who confessed to her and now I don't even talk to her anymore.

A bead of sweat flowed down my cheeks. I tried not to show any expression, but it was obvious.

"Hey Hikki, you know something about this right?"

"That letter was probably from someone I knew in middle school."

"That is a little scary. Does that person have a grudge against you?"

"Well, I was thinking it was from Orimoto, a girl I confessed to in middle school."

"Huh, I guess she regretted rejecting your confession?"

"Hmm, that was probably it."

We left the estate and made our way home. Perhaps it was time to tell my parents. I have never been close with my parents, probably because I closed up myself during middle school.

However, the letter was not a small issue that I could just ignore. Especially since someone close to me was already gone.

I figured I should discuss this more with my parents before I did anything rash. After not really voicing my thoughts to my parents, at first I felt slight hint of discomfort but that quickly disappeared.

My parents were still quite welcoming to hearing what I had to say. Their enthusiasm gradually faded away as I started discussing the letter.

"The letter couldn't possibly be a light joke," my mom said.

"Yeah Onii-chan, that letter was really creepy. We are lucky that no other letters came by."

"So what do you think we should do right now?"

"Judging by the contents of the letter, I have a feeling that the person now knows you had a girlfriend and is scheming against you to spite you," my mom said.

I was sad. Was breaking up with my girlfriend the only way to save my friends and family from ruin?

"Well Hachi, I'm not telling you to break up with your girlfriend. In fact when did you get a girlfriend? I was so worried that you would grow up alone!"

"A month ago."

"I don't think we are in danger. Your father and I are always on guard and take care when around suspicious people. In fact, now that we know the letter we can easily figure out whom the perpetrator is if they came again. Sadly, now there seems to be no evidence on sent the letter, so we cannot contact the police because of suspicions. Additionally, the police will probably consider it a joke."

"Okay, I'll just wait and see how it goes."

As the school year went by, I managed to be comfortable with talking to more and more people in class. I got to know so many people, but in the contrary, Yuigahama started to feel more and more distant.

"Yuigahama, is something wrong?" I said.

"Eh, not much Hikki," she replied. It was obvious that was not the case.

"Hey, I won't be mad, you can tell me anything."

"Our family might have to move. We have been getting unusual threats."

"Are they letters, can't you just set up a camera and sooner or later, you will find out who it was?"

"I hope doing that would be good enough," she said, although she still seemed uneasy.

Even now, Yukinoshita still wasn't back. It was likely she got transferred to a different school. Considering her strict parents, it wouldn't be surprising when anything put their lives at risk, they got away from our school.

Yukinoshita's parents didn't like me much, so once someone related to me started threating them, they worried about their daughter's safety. Most likely, Yukino did not get a chance to convince her parents otherwise.

For a while, Yuigahama seemed relieved that both of us finally had a plan to make the threats stop. In a while, when the person was caught, I would finally be able to stop thinking about this situation and focus on school and other things.

Next month, I arrived to a classroom with one less classmate. At first, I thought she was sick, but after a week went by, there were no signs of her returning. All the people she knew were surprised at her disappearance, and didn't seem to have heard from her. Yuigahama had stopped coming to school.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, the next chapter will probably be the last. I think I'll be able to give an earlier update than usual as I am almost finished that chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Perhaps the last chapter was a little too crazy, with the pacing and everything happening so quickly. If anyone who disliked the last chapter is still reading, I hope this chapter makes up for it. I mean, I didn't label it a tragedy so you shouldn't worry too much.**

* * *

I remembered my past, getting rejected by girls all the time did a toll on my self-esteem, and at some point, I wondered if I should stop trying. Working up the courage, doing all the mental preparations and finally asking someone out only to hear that a person you thought was kind, was kind to everyone was shocking.

If I had the ability to travel to the past and live through my experiences again, I still wouldn't change anything, as those situations contributed to my individual growth. Without a question, there was no answer, so in hindsight, and I made the right choice by giving it a shot. And for the first time in high school, during that festival, I finally had a successful confession, even though it didn't appear so at first. One success in the bucket made all the failures in the past worth it.

At least that was what I thought, until a certain day when she left. Before I had someone so dear, only for it to be snatched out of my grasp into the clutches of the enemy, so before I even felt the bliss, my girlfriend slipped away like a bar of soap. She disappeared from my life, and that was all because someone in the past rose up from her grave and came back to haunt me.

It was because of the event that my grades slipped, and I slowly became more distant from other people, but perhaps I was giving myself excuses. My old self, a monster of logic, had lost its original purpose and now I was a pile of emotions let loose out of a cage.

"Well Hikigaya, though it depresses me to see you like this, it is nice in one way," Hiratsuka-sensei said. "After all, you finally have feelings of your own, and although it feels horrible right now, things can change. Everything changes, whether you like it or not, stocks grow and rise, people come and go, and even I will eventually find someone."

"Huh," I barely let out a sound before chuckling slightly at the last sentence.

"Are you making fun of me?" Hiratsuka-sensei was boiling with rage, ready to unleash her fury on whatever unlucky person that was in front of her.

A heavy punch tore through my rib cage and my body flew into the ground with a thumb, causing me to lose consciousness for a mere second. I picked myself up, still limping from the hit, but what she said was a wake-up call for me, and so although my body became felt exhausted, my mind was now rejuvenated.

"Anyway, are you not going to chase after her? She won't wait for you forever you know."

I was at lost for words, as people around her had already contacted her to no avail. Was there really any possibility that I can reach her?

"Her friends have already contacted her and haven't heard back. Additionally, she had already moved and I have no idea where she is."

"Friends, huh. But you are not just her friend, you are her boyfriend. And from your interactions before during the service club, she seems to treasure you. Don't think too little of yourself Hikigaya. Also, isn't that similar to the problems you always had in the service club? I thought you were better Hikigaya. That side of you is what I've always enjoyed about you. Remember, there is a balance. The old you, while not perfect, has some good qualities. But it is true that emotion, especially something as strong as love, can cloud your judgment. It wouldn't hurt to get an outsider's perspective."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it Hikigaya. Isn't it simpler to solve other people's problems than your own? You have been in the service club for a while and although you made it through most requests without trouble, being involved in the actual issue is an experience that was different side that you haven't experienced before."

"I see, thanks Hiratsuka-sensei," I said.

As I thought about it a bit more, thinking of everything sensei said and all the great memories I had with Yuigahama, I came to the conclusion that the best way forward was to discuss it with a some other people.

Zaimokuza was someone who came to mind, because although he had issues of adolescent delusions, he wrote a lot as a creative outlet. And as of now, my life has begun to look like a story similar to a romantic comedy, though not exactly a great one. He was a writer with ideas and I had the hope that an idea on how to go about my current predicament would come to him.

"Ah, great to see you my long lost comrade, I have a new quest in need of conquering, for I have written a new tale of divine proportions ready to be dived into," Zaimokuza said.

"Sure I can help look at your new novel, but first can you help me find Yuigahama? Recently, she was absent from class for about a week, and people usually don't get sick that long. I have a feeling she might have moved."

"Oh right, the divine blessing of the two goddesses, who were willing to look over my past works, Yukinoshita and Yuigahama. If I am not wrong, is perhaps hen Yukinoshita-sama missing as well?"

"Yes, though I hardly have any hope of getting back with her as I don't have her cell number. I am pretty sure that only Yuigahama had it."

"Oh the tragedy, it is of upmost sadness that they have both disappeared from our world. What exactly could have causing this terrible disturbance?"

"They apparently received threats through some letters. I had no clue about what their letters actually said though. I was the first to receive a similar letter, though my letter was more along the lines of being creepy and weird rather than being a threat." I said.

"Hmm, relocation would be my priority if something fearful like that came up to me. Is there any method, any solution to get in contact with Yuigahama? By your relations, it seems like she might respond to you."

"Oh you're right, though I should talk a bit to my parents before doing anything rash."

After the conversation with Hiratsuka-sensei and Zaimokuza, I came up with newfound determination to try to contact her. Instead of moaning about my luck and waiting, I had to do something, so I first discussed the whole situation with my parents. My parents, hearing me bring up the whole story, thought among themselves before coming to an agreement.

"Although moving someplace to chase a girl is a bit extreme, I do agree that it might be a good idea for you to move there simply due to some other reasons. After all, both of your club mates disappeared recently and there's no telling what would happen if you continue to stay at the school. Sadly, we still haven't received any more info about the perpetrator, so it looks like you are not the target, but people related to you are."

"So you will allow me to move?"

"Yes, though it would likely just be you. We can't exactly sell our house that fast and Komachi needs to continue schooling. We will send you money regularly to help you with your finances, but you will need to find a part-time job to help pay for the increased expenses."

"That's great!"

"Once you find out where Yuigahama has moved, just tell us and we will help you prepare. Good luck."

The next day, I met again with Zaimokuza at his house and tried texting Yuigahama, hoping for the best.

Me: _Hey Yuigahama, where did you move?_

No response.

Me: _Okay, I'll try someone else's phone._

I borrowed Zaimokuza's phone.

Me: _Hey Yuigahama, it's me Hikki, I borrowed Zaimokuza's phone. Don't worry I have a plan. Where did you move?_

Still, there was no response. Was this the end? The next day, Zaimokuza had asked me to meet up with him, though he didn't explain anything until we arrived at his room, and left our cell phones aside.

We went to a smaller room and left our cell phones aside. Zaimokuza wrote on a piece of paper, mentioning that the person who texted him wanted the situation to be confidential, and that was the reason why Zaimokuza didn't talk until we were in his room. He told me that someone from an unknown number has sent a message that was seemingly meaningless, but appeared to be some clue.

 _Oops she ate Korean apples._

 _You'll get it once you come._

"Can you tell what this message means?" Zaimokuza said.

"The first sentence spells out Osaka."

"That was what I thought too, the monster of logic is back!" he said.

"Oh so she likely moved to Osaka. It was probably a different number because she thought if she made it obvious, she might have been found."

"Yes, that was the conclusion I came to as well."

"Thanks Zaimokuza. I'll be sure to show her your newest novel after."

I rushed back home and spilled everything thing out to my parents.

"Oh, that's great, and we can start packing up since there are no classes tomorrow. Give us a call, once you confirmed she is there. We really hope the best for you, Hachi!"

My afternoon was spent packing up items such as clothes, socks, my precious vita-chan as well as numerous small knick-knacks. I almost forget my photo book, but I quickly caught myself because I wanted to be able to make and treasure my new experiences.

When the next morning arrived, I grabbed all my belongings and headed out to the train before waving a goodbye to my parents. The train ride would turn out to be one the longest train rides I experienced, for I never really rode the train outside Chiba and the fact that I was sweating due to nervousness after being away from her for so long.

Relief enveloped my mind once I got off at Osaka, and I felt like I was finally free from my old self, and ready to begin a new chapter of my life. I walked around the streets, slowing taking in the new scenery into my eyes, excited for the new life that awaited me. In the distance, something familiar came up.

Still somewhat fresh in my memory, the temple in Chiba was the place Yuigahama connected to, and there was a similar temple right in front of my eyes. Climbing it out of curiosity, I came up to a donation box and paused and took a deep breath.

 _If there is a time when I really needed luck, it was now,_ I thought as I dropped in 2000 yen into the box hearing the clink of coins that I had previously planned to buy lunch with today. Walking behind the temple I see a familiar silhouette, which brought me a sense of nostalgia.

"Is that you, Yuigahama?" I silently said.

"Shh, be quiet," the girl came over to me. She whispered in my ear, "It is great to see you, but I changed my identity. My name is now Haru, and I won't accept you calling me by anything else. Call me by that other name one more time and I'll slap you."

I glanced over to her face, which although looking quite nervous and different from usually, was for sure Yuigahama. Haru, previously Yuigahama, was standing right before me, had a face I could never forget, despite how hard I wanted to when she left. At that moment, I couldn't resist myself and pulled her in to my arms.

"You have no idea how much I missed you!" I said. Clear droplets of water flowed down my face, and now I had the taste of salt lingering in my mouth.

"Yeah, me too," she said. She finally spoke out in a softer voice. "I waited here all afternoon yesterday and today. I don't know why, but I had a feeling that you would come to save me."

We sat on the bench facing the view for a while, and I took the chance to take in the scenery of Osaka architecture before talking to her. The day before she moved, her home was broken into by Orimoto.

It was late at night when everyone was sleeping, the air being silent as usual, before the sound of a door creaking open was heard. Thankfully, Yuigahama was awake at that time and thought something was suspicious, and woke up her mother.

Although she was supposed to finally have evidence to show the police, she didn't get out her cell phone in time, and by the time she was aware of what was happening, Orimoto had seen her and was already rushing towards her with a kitchen knife. Her mom was quick enough to block Orimoto's attack, but her mom received a gash that resulted in a large scar on her arm.

Yuigahama called the police immediately and they came immediately and detained Orimoto. However, it was likely Orimoto's family was on Orimoto's side and her arrest won't go easily with them, so it was likely that they would go after Yuigahama's family.

As a result of that issue and the trauma associated with living there, their family decided to move as well as find a service to change their identities so that they would be harder to find. That also explained why she was so secretive when communicating with me, as she was afraid information might accidentally get leaked out to Orimoto's family.

After moving, Yuigahama had to take weeks of therapy to help deal with the post-traumatic stress of almost dying due to the break in, as well as seeing her mother get injured.

We soon parted our ways as I left to try and look for a new place to live. _Come to think of it, did I take my cell phone with me?_ I gasped as I realized my cell phone was the same one I used in Chiba. There was likely GPS tracking on my cell phone as Orimoto knew where to send that letter even I never invited her to my house.

Though an explanation for that could be her stalking me, that doesn't explain how she found out where Yukinoshita lived. After all, Yukinoshita also got the letters, and not just me. I jotted down my important phone numbers and went to a department store to buy a metal detector.

I searched through my luggage and my clothes to ensure I carried no more suspicious items that could track me before going to an electronics recycling center to throw away my cell phone and other electronics.

As we went to downtown I heard someone talking on the phone.

"Oh who is it, Orimoto? Why are you calling me? And no, I don't know any Hikigaya Hachiman," he said.

It looked like I will have to use a name changing service as well. I borrowed someone else's phone and called my parents and told them everything was okay, and I then I asked Zaimokuza to e-mail me his new novel.

A week later, I found a new cell phone to my liking and contacted Yuigahama again. We both met up and read the novel before we each e-mailed him feedback. If it wasn't for him, I would probably be still in Chiba.

* * *

 **Epilogue**

Over a year has passed since that incident, and I know it seems silly, but sometimes I laugh a little about my past. The past me would find it difficult to believe that I got a girlfriend, and even more tough to believe that the girl I previously had a crush on would become my enemy. Some people in life, were unpredictable and don't adhere to logic and I probably won't be able to explain it all to the past me no matter what.

My family, thankfully, due to being well aware, were mostly safe. Although a year later, they moved to Osaka and changed their names. They said it was just to be with me and be safer, but it could have just been an excuse to move as they appeared to be getting a little tired of Chiba after a while. Once they found a new job and the school year ended, they moved to Osaka and I went to live with them.

By the whims of fate, we had managed to bump into Yukinoshita in Osaka. She was cautious at first, but quickly warmed back up to us. Although our group dynamic wasn't the best as she was still the third wheel, we caught up and it was almost like the service club days in Sobu High. Yukinoshita's family took precautions after she moved and they didn't get threats since.

Currently, I was working part-time while studying for the entrance exams for university, despite it now being unnecessary since my parents had come to Osaka to live with me. I was used to working after living by myself for a while and as it was almost like a part of me now, I wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon.

"Good luck on your entrance exams," Yukinoshita said as she sipped some tea.

"Good luck to you as well." We all exchanged our new cell numbers and Yukinoshita had finally become someone I could call a friend. The three of us left our seats in the café and went about our separate ways.

* * *

 **A/N: Phew, I'm done. Yep, I need to work on pacing a more, it might have felt a little unnatural.**

 **Oh yeah, maybe what happened in the middle with the letter was a little unrealistic, though I wasn't sure how else to make it interesting. Anyway, it's great if you enjoyed it, if you didn't then well, I kind of get why. Thanks for sticking along!**


End file.
